Wrench.



PATENTED FEB. 27, 1906.

LA. BARTON.

x M h 1| k\\ I m \NMY Ni 7 Q w m- WW W H v y z G M w J G JOHN A. BARTON, OF VIRGINIA, MINNESOTA.

WRENCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 27, 1906.

Application filed August 5,1905. Serial No. 272,865.

To all whom it may cOnOeV-n:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. BARTON, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Virginia, in the county of St. Louis and State of Minnesota, have invented new and useful Improvements in WVrenches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in wrenches, and has for its object to provide a wrench in which the movable jaw is adjustable to effectually grip objects of different sizes and wherein means under ready control are provided to lock said movable jaw in adjusted position.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side view of the wrench, showing the movable jaw locked in closed position; and Fig. 2 is a similar view, partially broken away to better expose the construction.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a handlebar provided with a substantially Yshaped fixed jaw 2, the members 3 and 4 of which form a V-shaped receiving-recess 5, the walls of which are toothed or serrated, as shown at 6. The side edge 2 of the jaw 2, carrying the member 3, is straight or inclines slightly inwardly and rearwardly and lies inside the plane of the adjacent edge of the handle-bar, while the member 4 projects obliquely beyond the plane of the opposite side of the handle-bar to increase the areaof the jaw 2 and provide for an effective mounting of the locking-dog, hereinafter described.

A link 7 pivotally connects one end of a substantially U-shaped movable jaw 8 to the free end of the member 4, which jaw is provided around its inner edge with grippingteeth or serrations 9 and around the outer edge of its free end with locking-teeth 10.

The link 7 permits the jaw 8 to be adjusted relatively to the recessed face of the jaw 2 to receive and clamp objects of different sizes between them, the free end of the jaw 8 being formed with a bearing-tip 1 1, which bears upon the edge 2 of the jaw 2 and is adapted to slide thereon as the movable jaw is adjusted.

In order to lock the movable jaw in adjusted position, a locking-dog 12 is provided. This dog extends through an obliquely or diagonally arranged slot 13,formed in the jaw 2, and is pivoted at one end, as shown at 12, in rear of the member 4 to an operating-lever 14, pivoted at its forward end, as indicated at 15, to the handle 1. The other end of the dog projects beyond the member 3 and is formed with an arcuately-curved or hook-shaped extremity 16, provided with a locking-tooth 17 at its free end to engage the teeth 10. The hooked extremity 16 forms a space between it and the edge 2 of the jaw 2 to receive the free end of the jaw 8.

In operation the lever 14 is swung away from the handle 1 to swing the dog out of engagement with the teeth 10, whereupon the latter may be swung open to admit the object to be gripped and then closed to clamp the object against the toothed surfaces 6 of the jaw 2. Upon then swinging the lever 14 to closed position the dog will be projected to bring the tooth 17 thereof into engagement with the teeth 10, thereby locking the movable jaw 8 in firm engagement with the gripped object. It will be observed that the pivotal connection of the lever lies in rear of the pivotal connection of the dog when the parts are in locking engagement, thus providing a self-locking connection which will prevent the dog from casually releasing the movable jaw. It will be apparent that the jaws will not only securely grip objects of different sizes, but objects varying greatly in form, while the simple act of swinging the lever 14 outwardly will throw the jaw 8 out of gripping engagement.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is 1. A wrench comprising a handle carrying a fixed jaw, a rigid, arcuately-curved movable jaw pivoted at one end to one side of the fixed jaw and adapted to bear when closed at its free end upon the opposite side of the fixed jaw, and a pivoted dog for engaging the free end of and locking the movable jaw in closed position.

2. A wrench comprising a handle carrying a Y-shaped fixed jaw, a U-shaped rigid movable jaw pivoted at one end to one member of the fixed jaw and adapted to bear at its free end upon the other member of the fixed jaw, and pivotally supported independent of the movable jaw for engaging the free end of the movable jaw to hold the same in closed position.

3. A wrench comprising a handle carrying a fixed jaw and provided with a transverse slot, a rigid, arcuately-curved movable jaw pivoted at one end to one side of the fixed jaw and adapted to bear at its free end upon the opposite side thereof, a lever pivoted to the handle on one side thereof, and a dog extending through said transverse slot and connected at one end to the handle and provided at its opposite end with a toothed terminal to interlock with the free portion of the pivoted jaw.

4. A wrench comprising a handle carrying a fixed jaw, a rigid arcuately-curved movable aw pivoted at fixed jaw and adapted to bear when closed at its free end upon the opposite side of the fixed jaw, a lever pivoted to the handle of the wrench, and a dog pivotally connected to the lever and adapted to engage the free end of and lock the movable jaw in closed position.

5. A wrench comprising a handle carrying a Y-shaped fixed jaw and provided with an oblique slot in rear thereof, a rigid arcuatelycurved movable jaw linked at one end to one of the branches of the fixed jaw and adapted to bear at its free endagainst the other branch of the fixed jaw, a lever pivoted to one side of the handle, and a dog projecting through said oblique slot and pivotally connected at one end to the lever and provided at its other end with a tooth to engage the one end to one side of the free end of and lock the movable jaw in closed position.

6, A wrench comprising a handle provided with a Y-shaped fixed jaw and an oblique slot in rear thereof, one of the branches of said fixed jaw having a bearing-face, a rigid arcuately-curved lever linked, to the other branch of the fixed jaw and adapted to bear at its free end against said bearing-face, said movable jaw being provided with an inner set of serrations and an outer set of locking teeth, a lever pivoted to the handle at the side of the wrench opposite the bearing-face, and a locking-dog pivotally connected at one end to the lever and extending beyond the opposite side of the wrench through said oblique slot and having an offset free end provided with a tooth to engage the lockingteeth of the movable jaw, said oflset free end being adapted to permit the free end of the movable jaw to have movement between it and the bearing-face of the fixed jaw and enable the movable jaw to be freely adjusted.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN A. BARTON. Witnesses:

Ron MCDONALD, JOHN BARTON 

